Madikeri: The hopes of landholders in Kodagu to get tree rights appear to have been dashed by the statement of Minister for Forests C. Chennigappa in the legislature recently.

Mr. Bopaiah had asked whether there was any proposal before the State Government on conferring tree rights to the landholders in Kodagu on private and "bane" lands. Mr. Chennigappa had said that there was no such proposal.

Restrictions

He said the landholders only had limited rights to make use of leaves of trees, firewood, manufacture of agriculture implements (out of trees) and for bona fide use (such as construction of houses).

This has come as a dampener to the struggle of the people, who had been demanding rights over trees grown on their own lands in the district.

The movement for tree rights has failed to make an impact on the Government. The delegations of growers have been meeting successive Chief Ministers. The landholders had come close to "clinching" when N. Dharam Singh was the Chief Minister.

Mr. Chennigappa's statement comes as a shot in the arm for environmentalists.

On the other hand, farmers argue that following the implementation of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act (KLRA) of 1964 in Kodagu, which had repealed the Coorg Revenue Regulations of 1899, rights over property, including trees, accrued to the landholders.

Allaying fears that they would fell the trees, farmers had argued that they were responsible for maintaining greenery in Kodagu in their plantations.

A former Conservator of Forests here is blamed in the district for creating confusion among the landholders and the Government over tree rights.

Landholders, apart from petitioning the Government, had protested against the delay in according tree rights by boycotting timber auction in the three Government depots in Kodagu one and half years ago.

Merchants from outside the district were prevented from participating in the timber auctions.

There are several petitions pending before the court with regard to the tree rights issue filed by several landholders.

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